Smriti Chaulagain

My research focuses on hydrologic and hydraulic processes in dryland watersheds southwestern United States, with an emphasis on how legacy earthworks such as berms redistribute runoff, modify flow pathways, and influence infiltration and hydrologic connectivity at the watershed scale.

Previously, I investigated how riparian vegetation influences flow dynamics in terms of hydraulic roughness and energy transfer in floodplains using two-dimensional hydraulic models. I have also conducted multi-temporal remote sensing analyses using Google Earth Engine to examine long-term changes in riparian vegetation and channel morphology along the Rio Grande, and their relationships with climate drivers. In industry, I worked on flood hazard assessments, including extreme events and dam breach analysis.

Looking ahead, I am interested in integrating physics-based hydrologic and hydraulic models with machine learning and deep learning approaches to improve prediction of flood and drought dynamics and support climate-resilient water management.